In the transfer portal era, we see athletes jump to a different school and, in many cases, multiple times in a career. A good portion of them leave due to little things or NIL opportunities, but there’s still a small group of players who transfer to get an opportunity and will go wherever necessary. That was the case for MTSU’s Omari Kelly; he loves the game of football and just wanted to showcase his abilities.
“Auburn, I can’t say I had a terrible experience there, but it wasn’t the ideal experience for someone wanting to come in and make a difference,” says Kelly. “I didn’t see the playing time I desired or thought I could’ve had. Coming here and having a coaching staff with 100% trust and belief is amazing; I felt I didn’t necessarily have that at Auburn. That’s the best thing about all this [transferring to MTSU].”
Coming out of Hewitt-Trussville High School in Alabama, he was highly desired following a senior season where he caught 84 passes for 1,335 yards and 13 TDs en route to a quarterfinal appearance for his Huskies. Although they would lose to Hoover High School, Kelly would not be done playing football and had to choose to either stay committed to Auburn or sign with the other 32 teams who offered him. He remained loyal to the Tigers and would sign on December 15th, 2021.
Although he didn’t make a significant impact in his first year, he would still see the field in all 12 games and was excited for his future. After the 2022 season, his coach would be fired as Auburn chose to bring in offensive guru Hugh Freeze to be their 31st head coach. Whatever it was, something didn’t gel right between the two. A sophomore Kelly would only play in seven games, recording two catches. Being unsatisfied with his playing time, he would put his name into the transfer portal and commit to the Blue Raiders two weeks later.
Since being on campus, he’s made a difference even in games where his stats don’t pop. In week one, he only caught four passes for 47 yards, but one of those catches was a fourth-down grab that set up a game-winning touchdown. Against Kennesaw State, he had 77 yards and a punt return score, and even in a loss to WKU, he put up 239 yards on nine receptions and two touchdowns.
This year, he’s caught 46 passes for 779 yards; both rank first in CUSA and top 15 in the nation, along with being added to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List for the best receiver in college football.
“I never lost belief in myself, but I came here and got a chance. I felt like I just needed a chance, my whole career, and now that I’m finally getting one, everything I’ve worked at is starting to show up,” Kelly said.
Part of his success comes from his quarterback, Nick Vattiato, a redshirt junior who is also having a good season with 2,057 yards and nine scores on a 64% completion rate. With Kelly coming in December, the two were able to build a relationship quickly. But not just on the field, as they watch football and crack jokes in their spare time.
That time spent off the field has helped them become comfortable during games where Kelly says they have a ‘special connection.’
“That relationship isn’t there just because we woke up one morning and said let’s have a great connection today. Since Omari has gotten here, we’ve made it a point of emphasis to go out there and be the best we can be.” Vattiato said.
Regardless of how the season has gone record-wise, Kelly has finally gotten the chance that he yearned for, and he’s proven that he is one of the best receivers in the country. This is why the transfer portal exists, for players like him who haven’t gotten a fair opportunity to play. As Kelly said, ‘All I needed was a chance,’ the MTSU staff gave him that, and it’s paying off beautifully.
